Washington (CNN) – Could Sen. Lindsey Graham finally have a credible primary challenger in South Carolina?

Det Bowers, a politically-connected Columbia pastor, collected over $417,000 in the two months since he made a late entry into the GOP Senate primary in February, a source close to the first-time candidate told CNN.

Washington (CNN) – Joe Scarborough, the MSNBC host who has flirted with the possibility of running for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, offered a candid assessment of the potential White House field during a closed-door session Tuesday with South Carolina Republicans.

Scarborough made the quiet, last minute trip to South Carolina, an early primary state, to address a weekly luncheon held by Republican legislators and to promote his new book about the future of the GOP.

Washington (CNN) - GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was caught Thursday on an open microphone offering to help the Obama administration try to convince House Speaker John Boehner to support the Senate's Ukraine assistance bill.

The moment happened as Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up testimony in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Graham walked over to the witness table, leaned over to talk to Kerry and was heard on a live mic saying "Hey John, good job! Let me know what I can do to help you with Boehner."

Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - To hear some tell it, the 2008 South Carolina primary clash between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was a few steps away from a full-blown race riot.

"It was unbelievable down here in 2007 and 2008," said Bridget Tripp, a Democratic organizer from Lexington who supported Obama in that year's primary. "Bill Clinton was going through downtown Columbia calling Barack Obama a racist."

Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - Each one of Lindsey Graham's five underfunded Republican primary opponents have been struggling to gain traction in the race and emerge as the South Carolina senator's leading conservative opponent.

Dallas, Texas (CNN) - Ready for Hillary, the independent group laying groundwork for a potential Hillary Clinton presidential bid in 2016, will make its first public foray into the early primary state of South Carolina later this month with a fundraiser in the state capital of Columbia.

Washington (CNN) – Chris Christie's handling of access lane closures to the George Washington Bridge - and the fact that his staff closed the lanes for apparent political retribution - will not matter to voters if the Governor decides to run for president, three Republican committeemen from early primary and caucus states said Thursday.

"I don't think this will make any difference whatsoever if Gov. Christie runs," Stephen Duprey, Republican National Committeeman from New Hampshire, told CNN. "People in New Hampshire could care less about whether some bureaucrat working on his staff did something stupid like this."FULL POST